1. Turmeric and Curcumin – a Brief Overview2. Health Benefits of Turmeric3. Health Benefits of Curcumin 4. The Dog Food Industry and Turmeric5. Adding Turmeric or Curcumin to Your Dog’s, Cat’s Daily Diet 6. Choosing an Appropriate Product – what type of turmeric to use7. How to Store Turmeric and Curcumin 8. Cautions and Drug Interactions9. Additional Information on Herbs and Spices For Your Dog, Cat10. General Guide to Daily Intake of Herbs and Spices

1. Turmeric, Curcumin – a Brief Overview

Turmeric, a spice is derived from the root of the Curcuma longa (also known as Indian Saffron), a perennial plant of the ginger family. The exact genesis of the plant is not known as the plant’s original origins are lost in the history of ancient trade; however it is likely that the plant originated in South East Asia or South Asia.

The Curcuma longa’s root system includes oblong tubers – similar to those of the ginger plant. The tubers are boiled or steamed, dried, and then ground. The resulting powder has a pungent slightly bitter flavour.

Although dogs have a much better sense of smell than humans – a dog’s noise has a minimum of 300 million olfactory sensors to our paltry 3 million, the dog’s sense of taste is less than ours (a dog averages 1700 taste buds whereas a human has 9000 taste buds). This means that the slightly bitter taste of turmeric is not off-putting for the majority of dogs. My dogs and cats have turmeric mixed into their food daily.

The scent of turmeric is reminiscent of oranges and ginger. Once it is dried and ground into a powder the scent is slightly bitter and medicinal.

Turmeric is a deep, warm yellow-orange color. The rich colour of turmeric comes from a naturally occurring pigment in the Curcuma longa tuber – the pigment is called Curcumin. Curry gets its colour from curcumin and some of its flavour from turmeric. Turmeric is a mainstay of India dishes and is also used as a substitute for saffron.

This revered spice has been used as a dye, flavouring and medicine since 600 BC. Turmeric is a very important spice in India – its use dates back 4000 years to the Vedic culture. India is the main source of the world’s supply of Turmeric, China and Indonesia also grow and produce the spice.

2. Health Benefits of Turmeric

Curcumin is thought to be the principal pharmacological agent in turmeric. As an ancient medication turmeric was used in traditional Asian medicine as a blood purifier, liver ailment mediator, for the healing of skin diseases and sores and wounds and as a stomach tonic. In Thailand turmeric was used as an astringent, anti-diarrheal agent, appetite stimulant, as a carminative, to treat dizziness, gonorrhoea, peptic ulcers and as a topical treatment to stop bleeding, treat insect bites, treat teeth and gums, eradicate ringworms and heal wounds.

Today, turmeric is one of the most extensively researched herb-spices for pharmacological use. It is favored for its potentially beneficial use in treating and/or reducing symptoms linked to an extensive range of health conditions due to its excellent qualities as an:

Analgesic (pain fighting);

Antibacterial;

Anti-inflammatory;

Anti-oxidant;

Antiseptic;

Anti-tumour agent (anti-carcinogen);

Neuroprotector.

Turmeric has been shown to be effective in preventing and/or treating:

Anti-Inflammatory – curcumin has been shown in numerous studies, to be comparable to the potent conventional medicines hydrocortisone, phenylbutazone as well as over-the counter anti-inflammatory agents. But unlike these conventional mendicants curcumin does not have toxic side-effects.

Cancer Inhibitor – due to its powerful antioxidant properties. Curcumin is effective in protecting colon cells from free radicals that can cause damage to healthy cell DNA – of particular importance as cell growth in the colon is particularly rapid. Curcumin also helps the body destroy mutated cancer cells thereby stopping the spread of cancer throughout the body. Curcumin enhances liver function – the liver is a primary toxin filter for the body, so enhancing its function supports health in many ways. Curcumin is also considered to inhibit the growth of the protein that is thought to be instrumental in triggering tumour formation. Curcumin has been shown to inhibit transcription factors (the ‘master switch’ that regulates genes required for tumor formulation).

Lower Bad Cholesterol andsupport Heart Health – Curcumin is a messaging molecule that communicates with genes in live cells. This active agent of turmeric directs cells to increase the production of messenger proteins that in turn direct the creation of receptors for LDL (Bad) cholesterol. An increase of LDL-receptors enables the liver to clear more LDL from the body.

Preventing Toxic Loading and Liver Damage– The liver plays a huge role in detoxifying the body. As dogs are exposed to ever increasing amounts of toxins in their diet (i.e. as found in many commercially produced dog foods and treats, dental care products – dental chews and toothpaste) and their environment (i.e. household cleaners, road salt, grass, shampoo etc.) the incidence of liver damage and liver failure is exponentially increasing. Turmeric boosts the ability of the liver to de-toxify.

Defence Against Neurological Diseases of Old-Age – as curcumin is able to turn on gene codes for the production of antioxidant proteins it provides enhanced protection against some neurological diseases brought on by old age – i.e. canine dementia.

Weight and Metabolism Management–If your dog is overweight you might want to try adding either turmeric or curcumin to his/her daily diet…new research by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that curcumin helps to speed up metabolism.

4. The Dog Food Industry and Turmeric

Many commercial dog food manufacturers are now putting turmeric in their dog kibble. But please don’t be fooled by advertising – the inclusion of turmeric in commercially prepared dog kibble is not an indication that the kibble is a nutritionally balanced quality product.

The quantity and quality of the turmeric included in the food may be insufficient to have any positive effect on your dog’s health and worse – the turmeric may be of poor quality (i.e. grown with pesticides).

Turmeric is becoming a ‘hot word’ in the pet food manufacturing sector, just as ‘omega’ and ‘probiotic’. As the pet food industry – at least in North America) is unregulated pertaining to their use of terms vs. factual substantiation of actual quality/ratio of ingredient.

Manufactures rely on the ignorance of the consumer – profit before ethics. I have yet to see a commercially prepared dog kibble that includes the appropriate ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids. Adding ‘probiotics’ to commercially prepared dog kibble is a ridiculous conceit as the heat required during processing of the kibble kills the probiotic microorganisms, thus rendering them useless.

So just as with omega fatty acids and probiotics – your best bet is to add turmeric directly to your dog’s diet – do not expect the trace amounts included in some dog foods to benefit your dog’s health.

5. Adding Turmeric,Curcumin to Your Dog’s, Cat’s Daily Diet

Mix turmeric in with your dog’s or cat’s dry or wet food,

To increase the bio-availability of Turmeric, when adding turmeric to your dog’s food in the bowl also add coconut oil (see this article)

If you home-cook your dog’s or cat’s food you can add turmeric to your dog/cat food recipe;

You can use powder (most commonly available), crushed or fresh root. I use the powder form (ground turmeric). The quality of turmeric varies vastly. Turmeric sold is in the typical grocery store and bulk food store is mass produced, grown with pesticides and herbicides and is, as a result low in beneficial potency. For maximum benefit it is best to purchase turmeric from a reputable supplier of high-quality organic turmeric.

7.0 How To Store Turmeric or Curcumin

Fresh turmeric rhizome should be kept in the refrigerator;

Turmeric and/or curcumin powder should be stored in a tightly sealed, container and kept in a cool, dark, dry location.

8. Cautions, Possible Drug Interactions

Turmeric and Curcumin are Natural Dyes

Turmeric and curcumin contain strong pigments that make both spices a natural dye;

When feeding your dog turmeric powder on top of food, just make sure you don’t place your dog’s and cat’s food bowl on a surface such as a cherished carpet as the deep yellow-gold colour of the spice can stain the surface it falls on.

Pregnant Dogs and Cats

If your dog or cat is pregnant there is a chance that turmeric might stimulate the uterus.

Surgery

Turmeric might slow blood clotting so stop using turmeric two weeks before surgery.

Drugs that Slow Blood Clotting (blood thinning medications)

If your dog or cat is on an anticoagulant / anti-platelet drugs use caution as turmeric may strengthen the effects of blood thinning medications thereby increasing the risk of bleeding.

For example warfarin (Coumadin), aspirin and other blood-thinning medications;

If adding turmeric to the diet you may have to make some adjustments to medications.

About Karen

Dogs are my life, my work, my passion…
I am a Dog Whisperer, Dog Behaviorist and Holistic Canine Wellness Adviser with a wealth of real-time, real-life experience living and working with dogs. For two and a half decades I have worked with and shared my life with dogs. My own dog pack is comprised of eleven dogs, various breeds and ages. I provide a full range of services including Obedience Training for puppies and dogs; canine Behavior Modification; canine Psychological Rehabilitation, specializing in assisting dogs that are experiencing extreme states of insecurity, anxiety and aggressive-reactive behavior; Diet, Nutrition and Wellness Advice and Plans for canines and felines…natural wisdom for you and your companion animal.

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120 comments

I have read through all of the Q/A but I did not find a question about Thyroid Carcinoma, July 3,2015 I consulted with a Western Vet Specialist about the lump on my dogs neck, they suspect, from the Four Radiographs images examinations of the lateral and ventrodorsal views of the thorax and cervical region reveals multiple medium to small nodules throughout his lungs No infiltrates were noted, no masses are noted in the mediastinum, no free or air is present in the pleural space, no soft tissue swelling is noted. His cardiac silhlouette is normal in size and shape. There is soft tissue swelling ventral to the larynx. the soft palate appears to be swollen.
I was sent home with prednisone 20mg, i gave my dog one of the prednisone and decided not to continue, searched out holistic remedies and vet, changed his diet, feeding the “Honest KItchen” but not sure if it is the best, have him on nzymes sprouted granules, ox-e-drops, nzymes tincture of blackleaf, nzymes direct-fed microbial & digestive nzymes blend coconut oil and Nu Vet Plus.

I am also considering putting him on cordycep, astragulus.hemp oil,flax oils, and sesame oil interchangeably.
could you please offer your opinion and suggestion please.
Thank you

Hi KAREN,
i just found your website. My daughter has an 11 year old shitzhu . Last year a cancerous tumor was removed . Unfortunately, they did not get it all . Tumors have now reappeared on his body as the cancer has gone to his lymph nodes. The vet is only giving him a month although he seems very surprised that the little guy is still happy, eating and playful. We give him Acana kibbles with fish . Is there anything we can do ? Apparently the cancer might start blocking his airways and we will have to put him to sleep. we are devastated. Please give us some advice on what to do . Thanks. Marie

It’s previcox (nsaid) compatible with curcumin? How much curcumin? (cat is 4’5kg)
My cat has cancer and we are givin him palladia (toceranib) and previcox, also an alimentary suplemment with arginine, glutamine and fatty acids and increasing omega 3 and 6 in his diet with some fish (salmo), he also eats normal food (cat food, both dry and humid).
He has been taking the medicine 2 weeks without problems, we started the new diet 4 days ago, the tumor seems stable and he doesn’t have additional problems.
My main concern is giving him curcumin while taking the previcox.
Thanks for your help if you answer.

The good news is that turmeric will not interfere with the drugs your cat is on – the bad new is that the food you have your cat on will interfere with the resolution of the cancer as the food does contain toxins and carcinogens (dry processed food and canned food).

Do they develop a “resistance” to the good effects of turmeric if you feed it all the time year after year? Wouldn’t it be good to go without sometimes and bring it back after a period of time, or if problems arise?

No. There is no logical advantage to doing so. For turmeric’s health benefits to be bio-available and active it needs to be used as part of a regular daily diet. Disrupting intake is illogical and has zero benefit.

Hi! I have an 11 year old female Black Lab that was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer, TCC abs possibly a tumor on her brain after having 3 seizures in an hour, two weeks ago. We were told there’s really nothing we can do, except keep her comfortable. That is unacceptable and NOT an option. This is my baby!
They have her on piroxicam and phenobarbital. I also changed her dry dog food to Blue Buffalo and instead of canned I give her a homemade soup of chicken breast and ground turkey with broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beans and garlic. I just bought cod liver oil, milk thistle and yunnan baiyao(for blood in her urine) but not sure how much I should be giving her. Can you tell me the suggested doses along with anything else I can do for her, please?
Reading your site has given me hope. Thank you in advance.

The seizures are likely being caused by issues with her liver and kidney – not due to a brain tumor. Stupid Veterinarians. You need to get her off of Blue Baffalo – it contains multiple toxins and carcinogens. She needs to be on a properly designed cancer-fighting holistic diet complete with herbs, neutraceuticals and alternative meds targeted to fight the cancer. My advice to you is this http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.ca/diet-nutrition-wellness-plans/

Hi Karen, Our 11 yr old, 60 pound boulder collie, husky mix has suffered a hairline fracture on his right femoral head. His hips are both arthritic (the right one, severely arthritic). The vet prescribed Tramadol 50mg 2x daily and Rimadyl 100mg 1x daily. It doesn’t seem to be controlling his pain throughout the day and night and I feel uncertain about the long term use of drugs with him. We have started applying a comfrey poultice to the broken area and are including turmeric root and Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate to his meals 2x a day. I am wondering if we are doing the right things to help the recovery? I was also wondering if orally giving him knitbone (comfrey extract) is safe? If so! Do you recommend a brand? thanks for you time! -Clare

I would definitely advise against the long-term use of Tramadol and Rimadyl as both have serious short and long-term side-effects that damage health. Not only do these drugs cause damage but they also act as a band-aid rather than promoting healing along with symptom management. In direct contrast a properly designed holistic approach can manage pain, reduce inflammation, promote healing and support health of ligaments muscle tendons and bones.

Hi Karen, this has been really helpful. I was wondering if you had suggestions in regards to how to add the turmeric to Louie’s food. I’ve been adding/mixing it with his meals.. when he’s done and lifts his head, his white beard is all yellow! Do you have any recommendations in preventing a “blonde” beard?

I’ve been following a lot of your tips for my schnoodle Louie’s acid reflux.. feeding him 3-4 times a day, giving him Norwegian cod liver oil, giving him probiotics and digestive enzymes. He’s been doing so much better in just 2 weeks! He hasn’t vomited first thing in the morning since changing his diet My question is, if Louie is 18 lbs do I give him 1/8 of a teaspoon at one of his meals or do I spread it out throughout the day?

Hi Rachel – for Louie you can up the dosage as he is dealing with a health issue. While there are some herbs and spices that have critical over-dose levels, turmeric is not one of them. Until his symptoms completely subside give Louie turmeric with every meal – 1/16 tsp or a little more is fine. Eventually you can just add the turmeric to two meals a day at which time you could do 1/8 tsp with each of those two meals.

I advise you to get your dog off of Deramaxx right away . It is a crippling drug. By putting her on it you not only hasten her decline but will kill her. There are many safe, effective natural anti-inflammatory / analgesics that also contribute to overall health and fight cancer. There are also nutraceuticals that work to fight cancer. These do not have adverse or deathly side effects.

If you see any of these side effects from Deramaxx get her off of it immediately as they are just a precursor to more serious damage –

Scratching and skin reactions are normally due to allergies – and this is the issue that you are dealing with – the problem is your veterinarians keep throwing drugs at him (antibiotics, steroids – i.e. prednisone) that can and do cause additional health problems and do not remedy the root cause.

His diet needs to be reviewed properly and yes you can add turmeric to his diet BUT he needs other items eliminated and added to his diet to remedy the situation. He also required proper topical treatment until the condition is put under control.

my 6 year old shit zhu has been suffering from what I believe its kidney or liver problems, he scratches and gets skin reactions. Vets for the past 4 year keep saying its food or allergies and with all the meds n treatments nothing has worked for him.. I really like to try this turmeric diet as `i was told it helps with liver or kidney .. Your feed back would be appreciated,

I’m trying to find information about giving turmeric for epilepsy- mostly to counteract the effects of the phenobarbital on the liver. I take turmeric myself to detox my liver and was hoping to do the same for my pups. My 70lb dog has epilepsy- he was on homemade food until he started getting very ill. Fast forward, he went on a strict allergy-free diet and I discovered he has a few food intolerances. This was fairly recent so I haven’t gone back to homemade yet. He gets flax seed, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar with Taste of the Wild. He gets the apple cider vinegar mainly for acid reflux (and I read somewhere not to give turmeric if there is acid reflux? but I have acid reflux and take turmeric every day..) And the coconut oil for a variety of reasons. Anyway, I’m wondering about turmeric and epilepsy while on phenobarbital. And for my other pup- she loves her acorns, which are poisonous.. so that has been a struggle.. would the turmeric help get that out of her system faster? Thanks in advance!

I would not put a dog with acid reflux and epilepsy on Taste of The Wild…#1 it contains canola oil which is high in pesticide residue – a toxin and carcinogen#2 it is made by the Diamond Food Processing plant – they have a lot of food recalls#3 You are paying for a number of ingredients that have ZERO benefit as they are non-viable – dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product,dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract

Acid RefluxTurmeric is fine for dogs with acid reflux in fact… Mix the following together and add to each meal…– 1/2 tsp of organic unpasteurized apple cider vinegar;– 1/8 tsp of turmeric;– 1/8 tsp of fresh minced ginger or ginger powder;– ¼ tsp of marshmallow root powder or slippery elm bark powder (both herbs contain mucilage which helps to coat the esophagus and stomach lining creating a protective barrier against inflammation due to stomach acid.

My 30 lbs.9 year old Beagle mix was just diagnosed with bladder and lung cancer. I’m looking at palliative care and am meeting with Ohio State University’s oncology department Nov 25, 2013. I’ve changed her to a grain free diet and included many of the recommended supplements. I truly appreciate reading the various posts and hope to make her as comfortable as possible for as long as possible.

First, thanks for all the informations you share on your page, it’s a great ressource!

I’d like to have your advice for my 11 years old boxer. He’s raw fed (without grains) since ever, weaned on raw. He eats a large variety of meats, and home made veggies, with kefir. No vaccination or monthly preventives either.

I’ve notice a few weeks ago a growth on his troat, and it’s getting bigger, and from my research, it’s exactly where thyroid glands are… I’ll go to the vet this week to have a diagnosis, but if it’s cancer like I’m afraid of, I won’t go with any invasive procedures.

I am willing to try curcumin, I’ve red that it’s better in combination with black pepper, but can’t find how much to give? I already give coconut oil.

You should be looking at the source of the meats that you feed him. If the meat is not organic, but instead sourced from large factory farm operations (CAFO) the meat itself can be a real source of thyroid disputers and carcinogens. The animals are feed GMO corn, they are pumped full of antibiotics, steroids and in the US – growth hormones. So despite efforts to feed a species appropriate diet – the source of the main component of his diet – the meat, can create disease. What is forgotten is that the farm animals are feed species inappropriate foods (i.e. http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2013/06/corn-corn-derivatives-very-bad-for-your.html) and injected with toxins. So the dog is exposed to the very things that you may have been trying to avoid.

Dont ùse turmeric combined with black pepper for dogs.`Purchase organic turmeric – add it to your dog`s food at feed it at meal time complete with coconut oil and fresh minced papaya (for digestive enzymes or purchase a papaya or bromelain digestive supplement with NO fillers, no slipping agents).

Hi Karen! Thank you so much for offering alternatives to traditional medicines! Wondering if you have some advice for me. I have an 11 year old Boxer who is 58 lbs. He recently had a tumor removed (from his front elbow) that turned out to be cancerous, spindle cell carcinoma to be exact. Three months later it has returned. My choices are radiation, amputation or nothing. I can’t imagine putting an 11 year old boxer through radiation or amputation, so I’m looking for an alternative. Not necessarily a cure, but something hopefully that will keep the tumor size down & slow the cancer from spreading. He also has immune mediated poly-arthritis and is on Prednisone and Azapriothine to suppress his immune system. He’s still really active, plays in the park, fetches, swims, plays with his little sisters and is really oblivious he is 11 with cancer. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hi I was looking online for help for my new stray cat.She has an eye infection.I also have a daughter with autism and would like to let everyone know we have been using curcumin(enhansa) for her and the results are AMAZING.Theres a special made,high high potency one out there its by Lee Silsby and its called enhansa.Ive been giving just a pinch to the kitty and so far so good.I know first hand the amazing abilities curcumin can have on ones health.I cant wait to see what it can do for my pets.The website for the high potency curcumin is ourkidsasd.com.

My cats get turneric with their food twice a day :>) I had a look at the product you are using it looks to be a good one. I checked out a selection of the other products on the site you mentioned and unlike the curcumin – many of the products had slipping agents, toxins. allergens and fillers. So while the curcumin looks good I would advise caution in purchasing other products from the site.

My Scottish Terrier is 3. He has always had problems with loose stool. I was wondering if turmeric would help his intestinal health. He weighs 19 lb.. How much can I give him? I just started taking turmeric myself for arthritis in my hip.

Yes you could certainly give your little fellow turmeric. As he is experiencing chronic bouts of diarrhea it is possible that he has colitis or irritable bowl disease (IBD), has he been tested for either of these diseases?

Make sure that you are not feeding him dog food that contains insoluble fibers such as corn, whole wheat, cellulose or powdered cellulose, brewers rice, etc.

His diet should consist of low fat meats such as chicken breast, low fat all natural plain yogurt (if he is not lactose intolerant), potatoes, cooked vegetables, omega-3 fatty acid in the form of Norwegian cod liver oil. You could use my homemade food recipe and alter it a little by reducing the amount of legumes by 50% and adding additional potato in its stead. For veggies avoid the cruciforms (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts) and use carrots, squash, pumpkin instead.

If the tumor is growing at the site where she would usually get her annual inoculations – stop having her innoculated.

If she is an indoor cat she does not require annual inoculations anyway – the majority of allopathic veterinarians over-inoculate. Inoculations contain toxins. Inoculations are good for at least 5 years if not more. Inoculations suppress the immune system. If your cat has an active tumor she cannot afford to have her immune system suppressed.

If she is on chemical based flea, tick preventatives get her off of them right away – they are carcinogenic and immune system suppressing.

If she is on commercially made processed dry or wet food you need to take a thorough look at the ingredients and eliminate all products that contain any of the ingredients I warn about in my articles on dry and wet processed food.

You can find articles on all of the above subjects by going to the index page of my blogsite.

As to Turmeric – you must use organic and it should be mixed into a meal with coconut oil (see my article on coconut oil for dosage). If what you are buying in the supermarket is not organic stop using it.

I would suggest that you make her home made food – or purchase a good wet cat food to add to her dry food – you then mix the turmeric and coconut oil into the wet food.

If you want to make homemade food you can use my grain free homemade food recipe for dogs – leave the garlic out, use the higher quantity of protein and you will have to add taurine. Add minimum – 100 mg (one hundred milligrams ) of Taurine for every 1 kg (one kilogram) or 2.2 pounds of cat food up to a maximum of 300 mg (three hundred milligrams ) of Taurine for every 1 kg (one kilogram) or 2.2 pounds of cat food.

My cat recently grew back her tumor on the same spot where the last one was, which was removed last February. I am naturally scared of having it surgically removed again because of the side effects. After reading your blog, I’ve been giving her less than 1/2 tsp. of supermarket available powdered turmeric mixed with some canned sardines a day. (I usually give her cat food) The only changed I noticed was the shape, it appeared to be wider but maybe smaller in depth. I was thinking about shifting to the actual turmeric root for better results. How can you suggest in the intake of it and so that she’ll eat it? Thank you.

If turmeric helps to detoxify liver and induces bile flow to breakdown fat, then why do you say ti not give it to dogs with gallbladder issues? My Border Collie has mild liver disease and gallbladder sludge. He also has a fatty tumor and now an injured back leg. I would really like to include turmeric in his food. Any thoughts as to why I could or could not do so safely? Thank you

As long as he does not have gall bladder stones turmeric will be good for him.

I don’t know what type of food you are currently feeding him but if it is commercially made dry dog food I would advice you to get him off of it. Too many toxins and carcinogens which are burdening his system – which is why he has fatty tumors.

I think I need a cat whisperer. I have two cats. I had three but one passed almost two years ago from IBD. It was truly awful. I struggled constantly with trying to find the right diet for him and nothing seemed to work. His condition worsened and finally he passed of a pancreatic obstruction. Now I have another kitty who is suffering from the same thing. Her symptoms are different, but she was diagnosed with high liver enzymes and the vet thinks she has IBD. I was feeding her raw food but she didn’t seem to absorb it very well, so I switched to rabbit, which she barely tolerates. She seems to be loosing weight and she is irritable and going under the bed a lot. What do you suggest? I am at a loss, and I don’t want to see her suffer or me suffer for that matter.

– I would get them off of chemical-based flea tick preventatives if possible;– I would make sure not to use any chemical based household cleaners– Is the raw food organic? If not he could have issues with pesticide residue present in the food, also with growth hormones and steroids present in the raw meat;– Give him distilled water in their water bowls – not tap or well water;– no more annual inoculations!

There is a series of things that you should add to her diet to make sure her body has the best opportunity to fight this and avoid re-occurance…

First if you are currently feeding her commercial dog food – dry and/or wet very strongly recommend you get her off of it ASAP. Please go to my index page http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/p/index-of-articles.html scroll down the page until you see the section ‘ PART 3 – DIET & NUTRITION, 3.1 – ‘Dog Food’, 3.1.1 DOG KIBBLE and start reading the articles. You will see why I am advising you to get her off of dog kibble ASAP.

The recipe includes garlic and turmeric – both of these herbs are very good to help support her bodies fight against cancer but starting 2 weeks prior to her operation exclude both turmeric and garlic from her diet as they are both blood thinners. You can resume including both in her diet a week post operation. In addition to the turmeric in the recipe you should add an additional 1/2 tsp to each meal – purchase organic turmeric only either at a natural health store or on-line, use the lose powder form in combination of organic coconut oil – coconut oil dosage/ benefits here http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

– Finely chop or mash frozen semi-thawed blueberries I – 1/3 cup mixed into her food once a day or you csn split it between her two daily meals (anti-carcinogenic, high in natural pain killers, and high antioxidants, etc.

– Raw, unpasterized honey, give her 1 tbs of raw honey a day mixed in with her food;

– If she would eat several tbs worth of finely minced dandelion mixed in with her food that would be beneficial too..

I just got the news that my dog (only 4) has an anal sac tumor. I’m devastated beyond words. Too little too late, maybe, but they are going to remove it. It was found kinda early, I guess, but it still sounds scary. Is the turmeric still a good choice as my dog fights through this? It’s a 65 pound dog. How much do you suggest to add to food for her weight? Do you buy the Turmeric from the health store and then open a capsule to use this? Thanks.

True, however pepper can irritate a dog’s stomach and GI tract so pepper is not the best additive to increase bio-availability of turmeric for dogs. Adding the turmeric along with coconut oil to a dog’s diet is a much preferable means of increasing bio-availability safely :>)

Wish I found you sooner. Discovered you on a search for Curcumin.I have been making home made dog food for years but use bulgar wheat…am going to switch to your grain-free recipe today!August 2012 my healthy 8 yr old male Cocker Spaniel had his right toe amputated to remove a growth. Pathology report Mast Cell Grade II with a high up number. 4 weeks later after no change following Clavamax for swollen right pre-scapular lymph and cytology showed only 1 mast cell, it was surgically removed. Once extracted visual evaluation was abnormal. Baytril (infection) and Tramadol (pain) and Benedryl/Diphenhydramine HCI 25 mg (antihistamine). Lab reports Metastatic Mast Cell Grade II almost a III with Lymph node Metastasis with comments that without treatment prognosis is 4 months or less. Referred to Animal Cancer specialist and end of September started chemotherapy IV injections of Vinblastine and oral Prednisone. Doctor told me if we’re lucky could have 12-18 months. He was tolerating treatment well with blood work in normal range and minor side effects. Was to have 8 treatments but by treatment 7 (early December) he was out of remission and cytology confirming cancer in another right pre-scapular lymph. Chemo treatment changed to Masitinib with Predisone and Benedryl. In less than 2 weeks could not even feel lymph and in remission. Doing well with labs and exams until mid May 2013. Has lost 5 pounds with noticeable muscle loss, fur loss, diarrhea, rapid breathing and a heart murmur. Removed from Masitinib for two weeks with meds for diarrhea. End of May lymph is 1.5 cm, back on Masitinib at lower dose, added Onco Support (dietary supplement), and add another meal to feed 3 xs/day. Has been back for labs & exam Mid June and Mid July with Masitinib dose increased, lymph continues to grow and weight dropping. August lymph measures 3.5cm x 4 cm and new chemo med CCNU and Predisone. In this past week lymph has grown from egg size to small orange size. Harley does not know he’s sick. He’s happy, loves to play, is cheerful and has a great appetite. It’s hard for me to think he’s nearing the end with probably 2-3 months left. I plan on changing his diet to your grain-free and giving him Curcumin organic powder 1 tsp 2 xs/day. What do you think? Carrie zoombibi@bellsouth.net

My dog is on Prednisone for back inflammation that is causing some loss of feeling in his hind legs. I have not been able to lower his dose from 10 mg a day without seeing bad results. Can I give Turmeric along with the Prednisone? Would that help me cut the Pred in half at least? Is there any way the Turmeric could take over totally for the Prednisone?

– boost his omega-3 fatty acid intake – add cod liver, wild Atlantic, salmon or krill oil to his daily diet – you can just buy human grade gel capsules – pierce with a needle and squeeze the oil out on to his food

– blueberries, strawberries, cherries are high in natural anti-inflammatories. Add some fresh or frozen chopped or mashed to his diet once a day – 1/8 cup for small dogs, 1/4 cup of medium dog, 1/2 cup for large dog

Did your Vet say what is causing the inflamation? I only ask because it sounds like what my girl has? She was Diagnosed with GME? She started on 80 mg’s of pred and is now down to 40. I am using alot of the advise I was given from this site along with seeing a holistic vet weekly and physical therapy twice a week.

Hello, my great dane was diagnosed with bladder cancer 4 months ago. We tried Peroxicam and he had a bad reaction to it, so the oncologist suggested we try metacam. The tumor has grown, and the cancer has actually spread. His utlrasound yesterday confirmed this The vet mentioned previcox in place of the metacam and I am very leary of that drug. I was nervous with the metacam, but my dog had used it before and did not have any bad side effects. If I decide to give the previcox, is curcumin ok to include in his diet? I noticed that you recommended against it while using the metacam due to it thinning the blood. An info would be greatly appreciated. Also he is aprx 150 pounds, not sure how much I would even use! I’m leaning towards a tablet vs adding to his food… he can be very finicky with what I put in his food. Thank you!

Hi there, I have recently started using turmeric to treat a cyst/lypoma on a 13 year old dog. Since then it has really started to weep. The lump is not so hard or so big now. I guess I should continue to use the turmeric?

Hello, my 7 year old pug was diagnosed with a nasal tumor a little less than a month ago. The vet gave him 2-6 months and send me home with some Prednisone. My wife found a product online called Life Gold that is supposed to help as well, but that’s really all we have changed.

He’s still eating and playing, but has slowed down a little bit over the last few days. He gets an occasional bloody nose, but not as bad as it once was and he has had two seizures (that I know of). He’s face is swelling more and more each day and his breathing is getting worse.

I’ve been reading trying to come up with a plan to at least make him more conformable. From what I understand I need to completely get him off of his current dog food and change his diet completely. Also, I need to start giving him Turmeric… Is there anything else that I can do to help him? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I recently got my dog some krill oil, because she has been diagnosed with intervertebral disk disease (in her neck). How would I be able to tell if she was allergic? I am doing everything I can to help her good diet, supplements and now I am getting the krill oil as well as glucosamine. I gave her the krill oil for a few days and I am not sure if it caused her to get worse or if it was something else but she was in a lot of pain this past weekend. Also do you recommend a brand of glucosamine? I got Dr. Mercolas Krill Oil. I am doing laser Chiropractic and electrode acupuncture and I am not seeing a difference, she seems to be getting worse. any advice you could give me would he so helpful! thank you!

Krill Oil would not cause her to have more pain. If she was sensitive to it she would have diarrhea.

Get her off of commercial dog food! You can read all of my articles on dog food if you want to know why. No grains in any food – read my comments on that in my response to the person commenting just above your comment.

Any suggestions for a cat with asthma; the use of turmeric. I did not fancy the meds the vet recommended when I researched them, too many side effects. Also have another rescue cat that is allergic to flea saliva and has scabs all over her body, was trying organic apple cider turmeric, saw the mention of coconut oil???any suggestions?

For the cat with asthma:#1 Boost his immune system by making sure he is on a grain-free, carcinogenic and toxic-free diet – read my articles on dog food and what should be avoided as these are the same things that should be avoided in cat food. He needs to be on an noninflammatory diet – grains are inflammatory.

#2 if you are going to continue feeding him dry cat food, supplement his diet daily with ‘real food’ (i.e a piece of fatty fish daily, a tbs of cottage cheese, a piece of chicken or chicken liver)

You’re the best! Thank you for the quick reply. My dogs are currently on Natural balance dog food and they make a grain free. I am making the shopping list now. I know not to expect miracles but I have to try whatever I can. He was rescued on his last day at the shelter and I promised him he would be my forever dog. I have no idea how old he is but as long as he is not suffering I will keep trying.

I came across your site while looking for a something natural for my dog. He was recently diagnosed with cancer and the gave me no hope. As a matter of fact when my husband went to visit him they wanted to euthanize him then and there. Being that he is my dog he said no and I went and picked him up later that day. Anyway, he has been home almost two weeks, and although he seems to have slowed down a bit, he does not seem to be suffering in any way. He is eating normally and doing all the doggie things he always did. I started him on powered turmeric but he refused to eat his food or treats if he thought it was in in. I got pills from the health food store but I am not sure the correct dose. It is turmeric extract (root) 95%curcuminoids. And turmeric (root) 50mg. Any help would be extremely appreciated. Kellie

What is your opinion on Orijen dog food?http://www.orijen.ca/products/dog-food/dry-dog-food/regional-red-dry/ That is what I currently feed my dog, I researched it for about a week before I made my decision to switch my dog Juno to the orijen. Also do you have an article on how to significantly reduce inflammation? My dog has intervertebral disc disease and my question would be if I could mix your suggestions for the natural anti-inflammatories together? It was also suggested by the vet that she be on high doses of omegas and I read your article on them do you have any brands that you like? Otiomega by Usana is what I personally take but I am not sure if it would be appropriate for my dog, I am unsure. http://firstclassvitamins.ca/products-page/usana-optimizers/usana-optomega/

Of all the dry dog food available in North America Orijen and its sister product Acana; Evo and Performatrin (grain-free products) are the dry dog foods that I usually recommend.

You can most certainly mix natural anti-inflammatory foods together

Yes, with intervertebral disc disease a higher daily intake of Omega-3 fatty acids are very important. You can buy a good human-grade wild salmon oil, krill oil, flax oil (organic). You will usually end-up paying more for an Omega-3 oil packaged for pets – not becasue it is better but because the retailer is taking advantage of a ‘niche’ market. If you do want to purchase a pet version I would suggest you go on line and get the Krill Oil sold by Dr. Mercola – it is very good quality.

Thanks so much for answering my question. I have ordered the krill oil for myself and my dog. Do you have an article on reducing inflammation? if so could you pop a link up to it for me? I have added nutritional yeast, coconut oil, turmeric, apple cider vinegar and kefir to her diet as of yesterday and am noticing a slight improvement in her limp already. I had a lot of success with giving her Inflaguard by Douglas Laboratories, it reduced her limping significantly, but the person that I got it from discontinued it. I need to reduce her inflammation by a lot and I don’t want to giver her the medication that the vet suggested. We are doing chiropractic and acupuncture and I am happy so far with the alternative healing efforts that my vet provides and how understanding she is of how I want to treat things naturally, but I do want results as I fear this disease will shorten her life and make her an unhappy inactive dog. (before the limp we were out and about having fun for about 4 hours a day, we have been reduced to 45 min on leash walk, she is sad and so am I) thanks again.

Last week my beloved GSD cross became paralysed, were mot sure from what yet, but suspect FCE. He’s responding well to physio. I was thinking of giving him tumeric, but heard that it thins the blood. He’s on metacam from the vets which also thins the blood, i know you’ve said above that its ok to give tumeric with rimadyl, just checking the same applies to metacam.

Having read the comments about magnesium sterate, im also a little concerned about his vitamin c supplement, which had been working well (alongside vit e and coQ10). Is it ok to feed magnesium sterate short term or should i stop this?

1) No, don;t put him on turmeric while he is on Metacam, as both do have blood thinning effects.

2) It would be better if you could find a supplement without Magnesium Sterate (MS), but if you cannot and the one you are using is the only supplement that he is on that does contain MS than don’t worry about it.

3) What you could do to help him further is if you do have him on a dry dog food – he would derive much more nutritional value from having home cooked food if you have the time to make it. What you want to do is try to give his body access to the most nutrition possible to help speed healing. You could use this recipe (just leave the turmeric out)http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2012/06/home-made-diy-dog-food-recipes-grain.html

Hope he continues to progress well – me three German Shepherds send there love to him. Paw hugs, Karen

Thanks Karen, home prepared meals is something id really like to do, although he has a terrible reaction everytime I try to feed him raw, even chicken breast. He has no bowel control at the moment so im cautious about introducing new foods as any runny tummy will be particularly messy.

For the moment im supplementing his orijen with cooked chicken or white fish, and sweetpotato and it seems to be working well for us

For those who want to feed their dog raw meat the change in diet from processed dry food to raw meat must be accomplished in a specific manner to avoid diarrhea. The transition must be done slowly and the raw meat cannot be mixed with dry kibble as the GI tract digests dry processed food very differently from raw meat:>)

The raw must first be introduced in a small amount as a treat,. Then if the dog manages that with out GI disturbance you replace one dry food meal a day with the raw food.

I don’t do raw meat for my dogs, choosing instead to give them meat that has been cooked at a low temperature (to avoid the formation of carcinogens)as part of that recipe (link above) that includes sweet potatoes, cooked veggies, lentils, etc. They do get fresh whole foods, just not cooked meat

Last August, our 12 year old Lhasa developed a severe eye infection which was quite painful. The vet recommended either removal of the eye, which we could not afford, or that we “end her suffering” – he said she was in more pain than she let on. They sent us home with a weeks’ worth of pain meds to think it over.

We made the appointment for a week out ( it was a terrible time to lose a dog, I had one daughter leaving for her honeymoon and two leaving for college that week).

For some reason, I started sprinkling curcumin on her food since I knew of its pain and anti inflammatory qualities. I gave her a full capsule each morning. On the day of the appointment, she was so chipper I said to my husband “This does not look like a dog who is in her last days”.

Then I realized she hadn’t had pain meds in several days. We cancelled the appointment, and continue the daily dose of curcumin. She can’t see out of that one eye, but otherwise, she acts nearly like a puppy.

So glad you did not listen to the veterinarian :>) Great instinct on your part! The vet would have been better off recommending that you attempt to add things to her diet to boost her immune system so that her body could have a better chance of fighting off the infection…trust your instinct, its good!

i have a 4 yr old yorkie/chihuahua who is about 1 – 1 1/2 lbs overweight. she has no medical issues but for the life of me i can’t get her to lose the extra weight. the only dry dog food she will eat readily is royal canin yorksire terrier or royal canin chihuahua. i feed her 3/8 cup divided into 3 – 1/8 cup servings/day and gets 4 – 20 min walks/day. She weighs currently 10.5 lbs i think she should be around 9 – 9.5lbs. Her metabolism has slowed down as she has been getting older. my question is wouldturmeric help and if so would i put it on her food at every meal or once a day

Couple of issues here…1) the food she is eating gets most of its volume from grains…which are:– quickly converted by the body into sugar;– which in turn spikes insulin levels;– Which in-turn spikes omega 6 fatty acid levels;– which in turn greatly diminishes her already low levels of Omega 3 fatty acids…fast energy that converts to fat and had little nutritive value. She gains weight. In addition the corn and grains used are carcinogenic and toxic and are not part of a dog’s natural diet. Triple trouble.

One of the foods has corn as the first ingredient! The other has corn as the third ingredient!

And by the way the what Royal Canine states about the food being ‘Balanced’ is a complete misrepresentation of the truth.

DO you mean blend turmeric with fish oil? If so, yes you can certainly do that. You could also blend some natural peanut butter with the turmeric and drop that into his food bowl – whichever works best for you :>)

As for the person up above who said their doctor said Turmeric should be mixed with soy?? that’s a BIG NO!! I’ve been reading Turmeric should be mixed with Black Pepper.(bioperine)

“Pepper multiplies the body’s absorption of turmeric by two thousand.” Go google it…. I’m still researching the ratio. so far the first % I’ve found is 3% of black pepper, to what ever amount of turmeric you’re going to use

Great article!! As an Indian, growing up my grandmother always had herbal remedies for any ailments us kids had, turmeric being a superhero. Whether its colds, infections or even wounds, turmeric does come on top and for dogs too. Recently my GSP who is allergic to certain plants had an ‘episode’, had wounds that were being attacked by flies. The allergy was cured by vet medicine but he was being attacked by flies. So we mixed turmeric with oil and applied to the broken skin and we have been giving him milk boiled with turmeric (once a day) to combat infections from within. He seems a lot painfree now and the flies have left him alone!!Kudos to you for bringing these herbs into limelight!!

The key word is ‘some’. While SOME dogs do have a food sensitivity to dairy MANY dairy products are actually very BENEFICIAL for MANY dogs. For example…Hard Cheese such as cheddar, swiss or mozeralla;Cottage Cheese;Yogurt;Kefir – which is fermented milk and has been feed to dogs for centuries.

If obtained from pasture feed animals the benefits of these dairy products increases exponentially as the offer an excellent source of vital minerals and vitamins, Omegga-3 fatty acids.

SO while a relatively small number of dogs are lactose intolerant – many dogs will derive great benefit from the inclusion of dairy in their diet, read to understand, before making unconditional statements as the one you made above – as it is by sating without perspective that misinformation is spread…and in the end it is dogs that suffer. Loving dog owners are feed much misinformation by conventional practitioning Veterinarians, by the commercial Pet Food Industry and by those individuals who make statements in isolation, such as the one you made above dear Anonymous. Ritzy’s comment come from the ancient tradition of feeding dogs real food. Prior to the 1950’s dogs had twice the lifespan that they have today because they ate real food, as opposed to what most dogs eat today http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2013/04/is-your-dogs-dry-food-dog-kibble-full.html Allergies and food sensitivities only became widely prevalent in people and companion animals upon the advent of processed foods which contain a stunning amount of toxins, carcinogens and extremely poor nutrition. I do not say this to insult you, but instead to share real knowledge with you…

Another perfect example of this kind of misinformation is evidenced by the rumours about garlic being bad for dogs. Garlic is another food items that has been given to dogs for centuries. It only took a few people to be misinformed and the incorrect rumour spread like wildfire. The truth of the matter is that when feed in correct daily amounts Garlic is very good for dogs. http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2012/06/garlic-for-dogs-health-benefits.html

We just started adding ground turmeric to our 15 year old black lab’s wet food yesterday. She weights about 78 pounds. How much would you recommend giving her?

Results from her needle biopsy for an inflamed infection on her front toe came back inconclusive, so we want to try natural solutions. Antibiotics for 3 weeks did nothing, and we’re not about to do a full biopsy on her at her age. She’s limping pretty badly, but other than that, happy and eating well.

Also, is there something topical you would recommend applying right on the area affected? It’s sort of a round cyst like inflammation around her inside left front paw. We’re just looking for solutions until we can get in to see a holistic vet next weekend.

Yes you can use betadine, it is a type of iodine. After soaking her paw you can follow-up with a rinse in a cooled solution of green tea and camomile – which will be antiseptic, soothing and will remove the betadine.

I wonder if the bioavailability push is from companies that sell capsules? After all, there is no money to be made from selling the spice. Someone already tried to patent turmeric, believe it or not. I read a disturbing report that magnesium stearate, which is used in virtually every capsule, is toxic over time, and inhibits the absorption of nutrients. If this is true, then perhaps the bioavailability is negated by the mag stearate. I checked the turmeric formula I have been taking and sure enough, magnesium stearate! So my vote is for the plain old organic spice in its original form that God and nature intended. By the way, Dr. Dressler also sells Apocaps, which contain turmeric and guess what else? Yup…magnesium stearate. My advice, buyer beware and do your homework ….but it seems when food is messed with by humans, it loses its healthy properties. Sadly, it’s usually in the name of profit.

Hi Karen, Magnesium Stearate can be found in about 95% of supplements available in the market.

Magnesium Stearate is a lubricant that acts as a ‘slipping agent’. It is created by adding a magnesium ion to stearic acid. Magnesium Stearate is added to pills and capsules to:1) Keep the pills/capsules from sticking to each other;2) From sticking to the machinery, which in turn…3) Means that they processing plant can run the processing/production machinery at a higher speed…4) Which means that they can increase production while requiring less inspection on the production line to ensure uninterrupted processing.5) Culminating in better profit margins.

Magnesium Stearate may be good for company profit but it is seriously bad for yours and your dog’s health and here is why…

1) Stearic Acid is most commonly comprised of hydrogentated cottonseed or palm oil. Of all commercial oils, cotton seed has the highest content of pesticide residue. 2) The cottonseed oil as part of the Magnesium Sterate formulation is used to coat the supplement – which means it is coating the nutrients in the supplement. 3) As a coating agent the cottonseed oil slows down/delays the absorption of the nutrients in the intestines. 4) The other problem with cottonseed oil is that it often comes from Genetically Engineered seed crops – long-term studies on the health effects of ingesting GE is not known. 5) In large amounts magnesium stearte damages the skin and liver…remember that most dogs are smaller than adult humans it would take less magnesium stearate to damage a dog.

6) Magnesium Stearate – as noted above contains stearic acid. Stearic acid suppresses T cells. Why does that matter? T-cells (T lymphocytes) are part of the lymphocytes group of white blood cells. Lymphocytes play a key function in cell-mediated immunity T Cells are killer cells, and are very important to good immune system function. Stearic acid causes the collapse of the cell membrane in these very important T cells. Collapse occurs when the T-cells are exposed over time to damaging doses of the acid. Collapse of the cell membrane leads to the destruction of cell function.

In my opinion the above provides plenty of reason to steer clear of magnesium stearate.

The pharmaceutical companies are incredibly unethical as is the pet industry in all its facets…you can see more examples of that here…

Turmeric removed a cauliflower-like growth from our dog. We added 1/2 tsp to his twice a day meals. I think there was enough fat in his kibble to make the turmeric effective. After a week or two, the growth began to get scabby and gross. Really disgusting – it would crumble off and bleed. We kept with it, as it was obviously getting smaller. (Started out about 3/4 inch wide and 1 inch tall). After 4 months, it is completely gone. Still no fur there, but growth and all irritation is gone. It did nothing for the sebaceous cyst on the top of his head, but totally took out the other lump.

If my dog is on a prescription Nsaid for her arthritis can I add Turmeric in the hopes of weaning her off the Nsaids or is it dangerous to be on both at once? I tried asking 2 different vets and neither knew anything other than to say the Nsaid was better, and that herbs tended to be useless.

The majority of Veterinarians know very little to nothing about nutrition and alternate methods of treating health issues – a good holistic Veterinarian knows better. Vets who know only western type medicine are very dismissive of natural interventions, and often ignorant of the many deleterious side-effects of the chemical-based prescriptions that they give to their client’s dogs. Nsiad is one such substance…

NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory), it’s generic name is ‘carprofen’, ‘Rimydal’ is Pfizer’s version of carprofen…

As an example of the serious issues with NSAID – Pfizer acknowledges a problem with their drug Rimydal:– Loss of appetite, wobbling, vomiting, seizures, and severe liver malfunction. – Reports say the drug company has contacted pet owners (who told their stories on the Internet) and has offered to pay medical and diagnostic expenses for dogs that Rimadyl may have harmed.

Yes you can use turmeric while your dog is on NSAID…and I would advise you to add many other natural anti-inflammations to your dog’s diet…

All of the items noted above are very important in providing relief from arthritis – search my blog for articles on these items and if you want a diet regime tailored just for your dog you can contact me and engage my consulting service to create a diet regime for your dog to target relief of his arthritis.

my personal experience, I used to take as much as 1000 mg a day of NSAID naproxen for osteoarthritis. I started adding turmeric and now I can get away with one 200mg tablet every other day so long as I keep up with the turmeric. The turmeric alone isnt quite as effective but i think the two together are synergistic. It could work the same for dogs too. that way they would not need near as much of the NSAID.

Those type of Vets are useless, greedy people who are threatened by what they don’t know and are too close minded to learn. My 14 and 1/2 yr old Golden has 5 lipomas, two which were growing in size and interfering with walking. After just two weeks of 500mg curcumin 95, we noticed the lipomas or fatty tumors were shrinking and he seemed to regain his energy. A little over a month now and the lipomas are at leasr 50 percent smaller. It is truly smazing. Believe it.

I’ve been told to not bother sprinkling turmeric powder onto my dogs’ food as it is not readily absorbed into the bloodstream: you have to mix it with liquid soy lecithin and administer it with a syringe in-between meals – also important for bioavailablity. Would you have any research/data you could share you have based your suggestion on – I would so dearly love to simply add the powder onto their food but have been told it is a waste of time and money but most importantly it won’t have the desires effects on the dog’s health (based on Dr Demien Dressler vet who wrote cancer survival guide). Thanks

I don’t agree with the doctor – for heavens sake Turmeric has been used for centuries in its powdered form for its medicinal and beneficial attributes. In addition I would certainly not mix it with any soy product or derivative that is produced in North America where:1) All mass-production soy crops are produced using GM seed and;2) Then processed via the North American mass-processing process.

As noted in my article ‘How to Choose a Good Dog Kibble http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2012/02/how-to-choose-good-kibble-for-your-dog.html…‘Soybeans (and corn) in the USA and Canada are almost all grown from Genetically Modified (GM) seeds – the long term affect of ingesting GM food is not known. Further to this, large factory farms use a method to process soy that leaves it very high in photoestrogens. Photoestrogens have been proven to interfere with reproduction and thyroid function. Factory farming processing methods for soy also result in a product that is very high in phytates. Phytates prevent mineral absorption as well as substances that prevent the normal function of enzymes required to digest protein. And one last thumbs down for large factory farm produced soy – it has one of the highest concentrations of pesticides found in North American crops. Traditional methods of processing soy by fermentation (as employed in Japan and China) greatly reduces photoestrogens, and phytates, thus making consumption of the resulting soy, safe and nutritional.

Centuries of beneficial use of the powder has been well documented. ‘Scientific’ studies are very often skewed or evidenced via a narrow perspective. Was his study such a one? And would you know how to discern if it was? Its up to you to make up your mind. I have seen veterinarians and scientists make many mistakes. And quite frankly suggesting you mix a beneficial substance with a carcinogenic one (soy lecithin) is very questionable in my mind.

I tend to agree with you regarding the use of turmeric for centuries without all this fuss about bioavailablitiy! And the dangers of GM soy are very real. There are a few other recommendations Dressler makes that I already ignore due to my research, this will be another 😉 Thank you for your time and effort providing such a comprehensive response.

I sprinkle turmeric on my food and I know it gets absorbed because my arthritis pain goes away. It returns on the days I forget to add turmeric to my food. Usually I just sprinkle some into my sandwich, so it’s not even being cooked. I just started giving it to my dog this week, as I noticed she’s looking a little stiff when she gets up.